Notice2022-13272
Port Access Route Study: Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts
Primary source
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Published
June 28, 2022
Issuing agencies
Homeland Security DepartmentCoast Guard
Abstract
The Coast Guard is seeking additional information related to the notice of study that was published on March 31, 2022, regarding the Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts Port Access Route Study (MNMPARS). Following a review of preliminary data and submitted comments, we have identified several areas of additional inquiry related to the study. We invite your comments and responses to the proposed questions and information requests as well as all other comments that address potential impacts to navigation within the area of study.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 123 (Tuesday, June 28, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 28, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38418-38420]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-13272]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket No. USCG-2022-0047]
Port Access Route Study: Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and
Massachusetts
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notification of inquiry and public meetings; request for
comments.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is seeking additional information related to
the notice of study that was published on March 31, 2022, regarding the
Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts Port Access Route
Study (MNMPARS). Following a review of preliminary data and submitted
comments, we have identified several areas of additional inquiry
related to the study. We invite your comments and responses to the
proposed questions and information requests as well as all other
comments that address potential impacts to navigation within the area
of study.
DATES: Comments and related material must be received on or before
August
[[Page 38419]]
29, 2022. Commenters should be aware that the electronic Federal Docket
Management System will not accept comments after midnight Eastern
Daylight Time on the last day of the comment period.
Although the Coast Guard highly encourages comments and related
material to be submitted directly to the electronic docket, five in-
person public meetings will be held to provide an opportunity for oral
comment on Tuesday, August 2, 2022, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., on
Wednesday, August 3, 2022, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., on Wednesday, August
10, 2022, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., on Thursday, August 11, 2022, from 3
p.m. to 5 p.m., and on Wednesday, August 17, 2022, from 3 p.m. to 5
p.m. In addition, a virtual public meeting will also be held on
Thursday, August 18, 2022, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. via webinar and
teleconference to provide an oral comment opportunity for those unable
to attend the in-person events. See the ``Public Participation and
Request for Comments'' portion of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section
for more information on the public meeting dates, times, and locations.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2022-0047 using the Federal eRulemaking Portal <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. See the ``Public Participation and Request for
Comments'' portion of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for further
instructions on submitting comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about this
supplemental notice of study, call or email LTJG Thomas Davis, First
Coast Guard District (dpw), U.S. Coast Guard; telephone (617) 223-8632,
email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#01524c432c4530436e72756e6f2c4c4f4c5140535241747262662f6c686d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9fccd2ddb2dbaeddf0ecebf0f1b2d2d1d2cfdecdccdfeaecfcf8b1f2f6f3">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Table of Abbreviations
ACPARS Atlantic Coast Port Access Route Study
AIS Automatic Identification System
COMDTINST Commandant Instruction
DHS Department of Homeland Security
EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone
MNMPARS Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts Port
Access Route Study
MTS Marine Transportation System
PARS Port Access Route Study
TSS Traffic Separation Scheme
USCG United States Coast Guard
II. Background and Purpose
On March 31, 2022, the Coast Guard published a Notice of Study;
request for comments entitled ``Port Access Route Study (PARS):
Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts'' in the Federal
Register (87 FR 18800). The purpose of the MNMPARS is to evaluate the
adequacy of existing vessel routing measures and determine whether
additional vessel routing measures are necessary for port approaches to
Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts and international and domestic
transit areas in the First Coast Guard District area of responsibility.
This undertaking is required by 46 U.S.C. 70003, which calls for the
Coast Guard to conduct a PARS prior to establishing fairways or traffic
separation schemes (TSSs).
The public was afforded a 45-day comment period during which the
Coast Guard received 14 comments in response to the Federal Register
Notice and various other outreach efforts. A review of available data
and submitted comments has identified additional opportunities for
inquiry that may help inform several aspects of the study.
All comments and supporting documents are available in a public
docket and can be viewed at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. In the
``Search'' box insert ``USCG-2022-0047'' and click ``Search.'' Then
scroll down to and click on the ``notice'' entitled ``Port Access Route
Study: Approaches to Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.'' This
will open to the ``Document Details'' page. Then click on the ``Browse
Comments'' tab. On the comment tab, you can search and filter comments.
III. Information Requested
The Coast Guard is seeking responses to various general and port
specific questions to gain additional insight into issues impacting
regional navigation. Where possible and appropriate, please provide
sources or other amplifying information to back up or explain your
responses. Also, please provide as much relevant detail as possible
when describing your position on a subject and how you've reached your
conclusion.
A. General Questions: Have maritime community members experienced
or do they anticipate any impacts to navigation in the areas within or
adjacent to the Gulf of Maine, the New Hampshire Seacoast, or
Massachusetts Bay?
1. How will vessel navigation routes change as a result of planned
or potential future developments?
2. What current waterway operations affect navigation? In what way?
3. Are there strains on the current vessel routing systems?
4. Are modifications to existing vessel routing measures needed to
address hazards and improve efficiency? If so, please describe.
5. Does the maritime community request additional routing measures,
other than those that currently exist? Please be as specific as
possible.
B. Port Specific Questions: Analysis of AIS data suggests several
primary vessel traffic patterns are used to access principal ports
within the study area. Based on observed traffic density and public
comment, the Coast Guard requests the following feedback:
1. Are alternate routes that bypass traffic lanes in the approaches
to Portland used as a matter of convenience or hazard avoidance? If so,
in what regard? Please be specific.
2. Should the Portland Eastern and Southern Approach TSS be amended
to better accommodate inbound/outbound traffic between Portland,
Boston, and Canada? In what ways would changes be beneficial or
counterproductive?
3. Are additional routing measures needed to provide greater safety
for towing vessel traffic transiting offshore of Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, and Maine? If so, what type of measures and how would they
be beneficial?
4. Are additional routing measures, such as a Northeast Approach
TSS, necessary to support Massachusetts Bay/Boston commercial traffic?
5. Is a Navigational Safety Fairway necessary to accommodate vessel
traffic from Boston to the Bay of Fundy?
6. Are additional or amendments to current routing measures needed
for approaches to other port areas including Eastport, Searsport, and
Portsmouth?
IV. Public Participation and Request for Comments
We encourage you to participate in this study by submitting
responses to these questions and any other relevant comments and
related materials.
A. Submitting Comments: To submit your comment online, go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>, and insert ``USCG-2022-0047'' in the ``search
box.'' Click ``Search''. Then click ``Comment.'' The ``Comment'' button
can be found on the following pages:
<bullet> Docket Details page when a document within the docket is
open for comment,
<bullet> Document Details page when the document is open for
comment, and
<bullet> Document Search Tab with all search results open for
comment displaying a ``Comment'' button.
Clicking ``Comment'' on any of the above pages will display the
comment form. You can enter your comment on the form, attach files
(maximum of 20 files up to 10MB each), and choose whether to identify
yourself as an
[[Page 38420]]
individual, an organization, or anonymously. Be sure to complete all
required fields depending on which identity you have chosen. Once you
have completed all required fields and chosen an identity, the ``Submit
Comment'' button is enabled. Upon completion, you will receive a
Comment Tracking Number for your comment. For additional step by step
instructions, please see the Frequently Asked Questions page on <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> or by clicking <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/faq">https://www.regulations.gov/faq</a>.
We accept anonymous comments. Comments we post to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> will include any personal information you have
provided. We review all comments and materials received during the
comment period, but we may choose not to post off-topic, inappropriate,
or duplicate comments that we receive.
B. Public Meetings: The Coast Guard plans to host six public
meetings, five in-person and one virtual, to receive oral comments on
this notice. If you bring written comments to the in-person public
meetings, you may submit them to LTJG Thomas Davis and they will be
added to the online public docket. We recommend that you include your
name and preferred method of contact in the body of your document so
that we can contact you if we have questions regarding your submission.
We will provide a written summary of the oral comments received and
will place that summary in the docket. The public meeting schedule is
as follows:
1. Portsmouth, NH: The first public meeting on Tuesday, August 2,
2022, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., will be held at the NH Department of
Environmental Services, 222 International Drive, Suite 175, Portsmouth,
NH 03801.
2. Salem, MA: The second public meeting on Wednesday, August 3,
2022, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., will be held at the Winter Island Function
Hall, 50 Winter Island Road, Salem, MA 01970.
3. Jonesport, ME: The third public meeting on Wednesday, August 10,
2022, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., will be held at USCG Station Jonesport, 9
Bridge Street, Jonesport, ME 04649.
4. Belfast, ME: The fourth public meeting on Thursday, August 11,
2022, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., will be held at the University of Maine
Hutchinson Center, Conference Room 138, 80 Belmont Avenue, Belfast, ME
04915.
5. Portland, ME: The fifth public meeting on Wednesday, August 17,
2022, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., will be held at the International Marine
Terminal, 454 Commercial Street, Portland, ME 0410.
6. The sixth public meeting will be held virtually via Zoom and
teleconference on Thursday, August 18, 2022, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
A link and login instructions for the virtual meeting, as well as
additional information regarding the in-person meetings, will be posted
to the ``News and Events'' section of the CG Sector Boston Homeport
website at <a href="https://homeport.uscg.mil/port-directory/boston">https://homeport.uscg.mil/port-directory/boston</a> and the CG
Sector Northern New England Homeport website at <a href="https://homeport.uscg.mil/port-directory/northern-new-england-">https://homeport.uscg.mil/port-directory/northern-new-england-</a>(portland-maine),
by July 18, 2022.
C. How do I find and browse for posted comments on <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a>:
On the previous version of <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a>, users browsed for comments
on the Docket Details page. However, since comments are made on
individual documents, not dockets, new <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a> organizes
comments under their corresponding document. To access comments and
documents submitted to this notice go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> and
insert ``USCG-2022-0047'' in the ``search box.'' Click ``Search.'' Then
scroll down to and click on the ``notice'' entitled ``Port Access Route
Study: Notification of inquiry and public meetings; request for
comments.'' This will open to the ``Document Details'' page. Then click
on the ``Browse Comments'' tab. On the comment tab, you can search and
filter comments. Note: If no comments have been posted to a document,
the ``Comments'' tab will not appear on the Document Details page.
D. If you need additional help navigating the new <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a>:
For additional step by step instructions to submit a comment or to view
submitted comments or other documents please see the Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQs) at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov/faqs">http://www.regulations.gov/faqs</a> or call or email
the person in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this
document for alternate instructions.
E. Privacy Act: Anyone can search the electronic form of comments
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review a
Privacy Act system of records notice regarding DHS's eRulemaking in the
March 11, 2020 issue of the Federal Register (85 FR 14226).
This notice is published under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a).
Dated: June 10, 2022.
J.W. Mauger,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, First Coast Guard District.
[FR Doc. 2022-13272 Filed 6-27-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P
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